Maybe we should have called him Lord Oberon instead of Tristan. Sophie suggested Puck more than once. I think he must have a wicked sense of humour appropriate to Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night fairies. I think he looks a little like a troll too: all wrinkly, hunched and curled and with really long arms! I was tempted to make him a little paper mache club.
But he is so adorable: small, soft and cuddly, you can help but love him. When he tries to lift his little head, his motions are like those clay-motion monsters from the seventies/sixties (you know like Jason and the Argonauts). I just want to hold him the whole time.
(If you want to see more pictures of Tristan, see my wife’s page. You’ll need a password, but just ask (leave a comment, send me an email, call me, etc.) and you shall receive.)
We thought little Tristan would be born a week before the due date, which was Monday. Sophie’s waters were low and so we thought he’d be induced. Well when that day came, everything was normally! He wasn’t coming out early.
Sophie started to get a bit potty at home, not able to do much, waiting for him to come. The due date, 18th June, came and went. Tristan was doing fine and was not going to come then.
Sophie’s blood pressure started to rise. But still, he did not want to come. So we decided it was better to induce the birth and it was all planned for Friday morning. So Thursday comes: 21st June, Summer solstice, first day of summer (if you go by the French), Midsummer night, the day when lots of pagans dance naked in the sunrise… we get all the stuff ready, travel all the way over to Grannies with Alice, our three year old daughter,… when Sophie starts to get contractions. The day before he was to be induced, he decides to come out! I told you he must have a wicked sense of humour.
A slightly mad dash across the M50 (not too busy at 9pm on Thursday night btw), arrived in the hospital with Sophie dilated about 2cm. In about an hour, 5cms. He really was coming now. At about 11pm, the epidural started to take effect on Sophie.
Alice had been a completely different kettle of fish. She came out early after being induced. Sophie’s blood pressure had been very high and there had been protein in her urine. And the labour was long, I think 8 hours or so. And in the end she had to be suctioned out. She came out screaming, with red hair. This time I was able to watch his little head push through. He started to appear, I think, around 11.30 or so, half an hour to midnight. And…
Tristan popped out at 11.48pm, 12 minutes to go. He didn’t have much hair and we couldn’t tell the colour. Instead of screaming… he just went for a sleep. That’s my boy! 
Update: Sophie has corrected me on a number of details.
Tristan’s due date was actual the Tuesday 19th June (2007), not Monday the 18th. Alice’s labour took a total of 12 hours, not the 8 that I was present for… Alice was delivered used a forceps after the suction failed.
